It’s hard to believe these buttery, zesty melt-in-your-mouth Lime-Glazed Easy Shortbread Cookies are made in 30 minutes with just 6 ingredients. Perfect for a tea, shower, potluck, or holiday cookie-exchange. And the perfect gift.
I’ve been making these easy shortbread cookies for over 30 years from the old Noreen Gilletz Food Processor cookbook (from back in the 80’s I think). I decided to give them a little tweak. Rave reviews! All I added was some lime zest in the dough and a lime glaze on the cookies. The bright fresh sweet-tangy burst of citrus flavor takes them to a new level.
As if a seriously good cookie isn’t enough, making these cookies couldn’t be easier and quicker. I should call them shortcut cookies because the dough takes less than 3 minutes if you use a processor. You don’t need to wrap, chill and roll the dough as with many other shortbread recipes.
My husband is already complaining that there aren’t enough (I made them last night and froze them for the upcoming holidays). He’s not too happy about having to wait. Of course I let him taste one. That’s why he clamoring for more.
Tailor To Your Taste
- Use lemon instead of lime
- I used 2 teaspoons of maple syrup in the glaze to add more depth (totally optional)
- If you want the glaze to look glossy, add a 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup (also optional)
- Add more lime zest if you want to step up the zestiness even more.
Make Ahead Lime-Glazed Easy Shortbread Cookies
- Completely cool cookies. Store them in ziploc bag or sealed container on the counter at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. If you want, crisp them up in a 300F oven for 4 minutes, but if you do, add the glaze after you re-bake/crisp them, not before.
Lime-Glazed Easy Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup room temperature salted butter (2 sticks). If using unsalted, add 1/4 tsp salt.
- 1/2 cup icing (confectioners) sugar
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp lime zest
Lime Glaze
- 1/2 cup icing (confectioner) sugar)
- 4 tsp lime juice
- 2 tsp lime zest
- 2 tsp maple syrup (OPTIONAL)
- 1/2 tbsp corn syrup (OPTIONAL) - makes glaze glossy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- MAKE COOKIE DOUGH: In a processor, process butter and icing sugar until creamy smooth, about 1 minute. Add vanilla, cornstarch, lime zest and flour. Pulse with quick on/off turns just until dough starts to get crumbly and ingredients are combined. Empty onto a cutting board or parchment paper and gently shape dough together into one big blob.
- FORM COOKIES: Line a large cookie sheet/pan (17" x 12") with parchment paper. Or use two pans. Using clean hands, break off a small piece of dough, roll into a 1 1/2 inch ball. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat until all dough is gone. I make 35 balls that all fit in one large plan. With tines of a fork, flatten balls to just over 1/4 inch and make a criss-cross pattern. (Tip: dip fork into flour if dough is sticky).
- BAKE AND COOL: Bake cookies in middle rack for 16 minutes or until edges are starting to lightly brown. Transfer to cooling rack.
- MAKE GLAZE: While cookies are baking, mix glaze ingredients together with whisk or fork. When cookies are cooled (if you can wait!), brush glaze on each cookie with a pastry brush. Glaze will harden in about 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe, originally published in 2017, has been updated for the holiday season.
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